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Tuesday, November 22, 2011

GH and Showbiz 411: Not Pulling Any Punches!

Showbiz 411's headline reads: ABC Prepares General Hospital For It's End by Killing Main Character! READ it all at the link.

ABC Daytime is just about over. They announced today that they’re writing out a major “General Hospital” character. Kimberly McCullough, 33, has been on the show on and off since 1985, starting as a child.McCullough’s character, Robin Scorpio, became infected with HIV in the late 1980s from her boyfriend. Now it seems “GH” will likely kill her off from AIDS–and this should make everyone everywhere pretty angry since AIDS deaths have been reduced greatly over the years. The Robin character was a symbol of hope.

Congratulations to Brian Frons, the ABC exec who over saw the dismantling. He masterfully figured out ways to drive fans from the shows in order to lower their ratings, and kill them. The good news is, whoever’s left watching ABC daytime will know how to cook a chicken and how to execute a wine reduction. This is valuable information.

18 comments:

Adora
said...

While I do wish he'd gotten the timeline of the AIDS storyline right, I applaud this article. The line that gets me the most, on a million levels, is "The Robin character was a symbol of hope." It breaks my heart to imagine that hope shattered.

Why can't Robin just go off to visit her parents for awhile? Her dad was seriously ill not that long ago (although I don't think that is remembered on GH since it happened on Night Shift). If he had a relapse it would make sense she would go to be with him. At least this way one of the most beautiful stories on GH would not end sadly. Plus Kimberly could come back for the last episodes.

Any rumors of how Lucky leaves?

I'm concerned about this rumored storyline of a character we have known for years being a serial killer.Will this be Wolf/Guza's final stab at Jax? After all, he has Jerry for a brother. (Hopefully Ingo would not come back for that!) Another rumor was it's Spinelli. We know it can't be someone like Jason, Jerry, Sonny or Anthony, because that wouldn't be shocking enough. It would have to be someone we'd "never expect".

Way to go TPTB. It's not bad enough to kill our show and our favorites, but totally change even more history for no reason. So sad to think next holiday season there will be no more GH to watch.

Yes KMC has chosen to leave. Why shouldn't she?? She has more opportunity for her in other revenues. Why be part of a sinking ship that is ending anyhow?? Apparently she feels no loyalty to the show. (which I think is funny)I wish her the best.

As far as killing her off due to AIDS, Adora said it perfect, 'HOPE is shattered'. They could have killed her in a car accident. To use AIDS as a way of losing the character, when her character on this show fought so hard for so long......is just wrong. I HATE Frons.

So sad. I watched Kimberly grow up on GH. She was doing so well on her drup protical, now all of a sudden she'll die of Aids? No wonder the long time actors are jumping ship, they see the light at the end of the tunnel, and it's the train!!!!!

The whole HIV storyline sucked. First, GH showed no bones by having two hetero teenagers deal with the disease at a time when 98% of the sufferers were male homosexuals. Then they had her character live with it for years at a time this was not realistic.

The HIV storyline, the Jason head injury storyline, the whole 1990s Luke and Laura rehash, the death of Justus Ward and all the Q's.

The show's doom was writ in the late 90s. It's just sowing the crop now.

While I so agree with everyone, knowing that GH is about to end, why would they choose NOW to go? Why not stay until the end?? Because they feel no loyalty to the show, none. They don't have the same feelings as say OLTL or AMC cast has. GH is a shell and I'm pissed off.

I wouldn't stay until the end, unless my contract stated that I would continue to get paid for 2 years like SB contract is for.

Nobody is going to sign these actors to long time contracts, so why bother hanging out? The show sucks the life out of us viewers who have been loyal to the show. However, I can't blame the remaining Vets for wanting out. Not at all.

i stopped watching this mess a long while ago! i tried again when gw came on board but his writing sucks as bad as guza! why should vets care when they are fired and talentless hack newbies are brought on. it should have been gh that was cancelled first and not oltl!

"two hetero teenagers deal with the disease at a time when 98% of the sufferers were male homosexuals."

I hate to take issue with anyone's personal opinions, but I really disagree with this. The point of the story, as I saw it, was to break the misconceptions about there being a type of person who got the disease. Straight people, of all ages, were being careless and thinking "this can't happen to ME" and it was an alarmingly naive and dangerous thought process.

Drugs and prostitution are a huge part of life for runaways, which Stone was, and both are high risk activities. We know this now. The fact that people didn't when the story was done only proves how relevant the story was. Any soap is dramatized and may have unrealistic elements, but that never took away from the importance of the storyline for me, personally of course.

"Then they had her character live with it for years at a time this was not realistic."

I have a friend who I only get to talk to once every few years. He was diagnosed HIV positive well before the story with Robin and Stone aired. Because we speak so infrequently I find myself constantly concerned about his health. He has struggled and nearly lost the battle more than once, only to be saved by new experimental drugs. He is STILL ALIVE. His strength to live his life and fight this with every fiber of his being, never letting the diagnosis destroy him, is obviously an inspiring, yet heartbreaking, thing to see.

There was a time when I, too, thought Robin's survival may have been a little far-fetched. My friend's experience has taught me how misguided I was for thinking that. Her character was young, intelligent and STRONG. She had the will to fight it and was diagnosed and put on a drug protocol very quickly. These are things that have the potential to dramatically increase the life expectancy of anyone confronted with the disease and I think it's been important that the show has tried to convey that.

I am sad that people aren't aware of these facts and merely see Robin as some kind of illusion of a future, not a genuine example of hope. I guess the show made less of an impact than they strove for.

I absolutely hate that they are erasing what little positive impact they may have had by regressing us to an infantile state of fear by first having Lisa run around threatening people with the disease, only to follow it with Robin losing this long battle. For me, this story is going to be like watching my friend lose his own fight. I can hardly bear to think about it.

'Among women diagnosed with AIDS in 2009, 78% of black/African American women, 75% of Hispanic/Latino women and 68% of white women became infected through heterosexual contact.'

No this dreadful disease is not limited. It attacks everyone.

There are alot of people living with HIV. HIV is not Aids. My cousin is HIV. And I was the typical stereotype until I was forced to learn about her condition. I only wish more people were educated on living with HIV.

Killing someone off from a disease, that, at this time has no cure, the drug adminstration has a handle on this. Lots of people diagnosed 22 years ago still alive & healthy. G*D bless them!

Thank you Cents~ I am very sorry to hear of your cousin's condition, but I am glad that she has an understanding support system intact. Trying to fight all the misconceptions, AND find it in yourself to gather the courage and strength to try and survive, will never be an easy battle for anyone. =(

Point is Adora, there are alot of ignorant people out there that need to be educated on HIV. Dying is not the way to tell the story. People don't have to die from this. They can live with it. So to kill Robin because of her HIV status, is a slap in the face with all the progress that has been made since this virus first came out.

I am not underestimating HIV. You must be careful. It all begins with you. However, some people, have it, because unknowingly they 'trusted' the wrong person. Not being straight has nothing to do with this disease!

OK..I am done venting. I saw the earlier post and didn't take the time to write out what you did. I agreed with your post and think its important for people to read.

'Supposingly' Robert is coming back to finish up Robin's storyline. Frons has no class when it comes to ratings.